Welcome to Set 1 - Stage 2 of Masquerade!
I highly suggest you guys to listen to some music while you read this! Fortunately it's the instrumental soundtrack of Madoka Magika (which I do not own) so it's pretty nice background music~
Please leave a review on the way out! Enjoy!
"Kurosaki-kun! Look at all this food!" Orihime skipped, as fast as her dress would allow her, to the location she was pointing at. Sauntering over to meet Orihime, Ichigo's ochre eyes fell upon the rows of tables festooned with exotic foods and delicacies.
"Try this, try this!" she chirped enthusiastically, shoving a plate of pie towards him. She had already begun to help herself at the buffet, her own plate filled to the brim with desserts.
"Inoue, shouldn't you be eating entrees before the dessert? And your dress is going to get dirty," Ichigo took the pie from her, worried that she would spill something if she didn't have her other hand.
"Nonsense, Kurosaki-kun! What you do is gather all the food you like and eat it a— ack!" Orihime dropped her full plate of dessert onto the floor with a loud crash, turning the masked heads of many people nearby.
Ichigo muffled a sigh behind his mask and bent over to help her pick up the soiled food from the floor and stack it back on her plate to throw away, "You really should be more careful, Inoue."
"Ah, sorry, sorry!" she perked up as she picked up the remnants. She looked at Ichigo to read his expression, but it was fully hidden beneath his frightful mask. She was glad her mask slightly hid her rosy cheeks.
She snapped her eyes shut and mentally kicked herself. 'Why am I so clumsy…? I'm only embarrassing Ichigo so far!"
"Oh? Orihime-san? Did you drop something?"
The auburn-haired girl opened her eyes slowly in response to the voice. In Orihime's peripheral vision, she saw what she thought was the silver lining of clouds, but looking up, she realized it was only Rukia's gorgeous dress. Immediately, heat rushed to her face in embarrassment.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Kuchiki-san!"
"Don't worry about it, Orihime-san," she gave the auburn-haired girl a wide smile, "Don't bother with that mess. You'll ruin your dress! I will have a butler come clean that up for you."
"Thank you, Kuchiki-san…," Orihime giggled awkwardly as she stood up, "You have a really grand ball here by the way! Thank you so much for inviting me." She bowed politely to her.
"Don't be so shy, Orihime-san! You're my friend too!"
Orihime heard Ichigo snort unceremoniously behind her. He wasn't fooled by Rukia's perky persona. Rukia's eye twitched in annoyance and she jumped over to Ichigo to punch him on the side of his face, avoiding his mask.
"What the hell? What's the matter with you?!" he towered over the petite girl to yell at her, his booming voice muffled by his mask.
"Oops! My hand slipped!" she laughed mischievously, covering her mouth slyly with a lace glove as she laughed heartily.
"Should an aristocrat like you be so evil?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kurosaki-kun," she sang in retort.
As they bickered, Orihime glanced down at her dress and her expression turned to one of horror. A smear of raspberry jam from a tart had caked onto her dress, right in between her breasts.
"Oh no…," Orihime's quiet voice caught the attention of Rukia and Ichigo.
"Oh!" Upon seeing the stain, Rukia skipped over her to console her. She placed a tiny finger to her lips as she contemplated the issue, "Well, I think you should try to wash it off. The restroom is right around that corner!"
Orihime's spirit wilted. She was wasting her chance to spend time with Ichigo, but she definitely didn't want to go prancing around with food on her nice dress.
"W-well, alright then," she hesitated before stepping away, looking at Ichigo, but he had already gone back to teasing Rukia.
Silently, she turned and headed to the direction Rukia pointed at. Keeping a hand to her chest to cover the ugly smudge of red on her cerulean dress, she pushed past strangers in colorful masks.
The orchestra had already begun to play another piece in which Orihime had recognized to be 'Decretum' by Yuki Kajiura. At first it was a soft trio of the glockenspiel and two guitars and then the violins were introduced; a mellow harmony of strings darkening Orihime's mood. Glancing behind her to where she last saw Ichigo and Rukia, she felt her chest squeeze in pain as she caught them shamelessly flirting in public.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be…
She lowered her hands and gripped her dress tightly, fighting back the tears as she walked.
The musicians had quieted their melody as the crowd around her halted their conversations and resulted to hushed whispers. Orihime slowed her pace and then turned around to see what the commotion was.
Kuchiki Rukia, in her splendid ebony dress that harbored the colors of stormy clouds, was walking up the stage steps and to the podium to officially welcome the guests. An air of maturity, elegance, and strength wafted around her as her large, glistening amethyst eyes scanned the large crowd beneath her. Despite half her smile being smothered by her mask, her teeth gleamed in the dim room as bright as the sun.
Orihime felt jealousy stir within her.
Rukia was strong, rich, powerful, and so very smart while Orihime was just some plain girl with a ditzy personality, barely able to feed herself after her brother's death.
"Good evening everyone!" the petite girl perked up with a booming voice, contrary to her stature, "Thank you very much for attending the Kuchiki's 104th Annual Masquerade. It's wonderful how all of you continue to support us and our humble tradition… This, of course, would not have been made possible without Ulquio…"
She continued to speak, starting from the origin of the masquerade and other things, but Orihime was drowning further into self-pity as she listened to every word spoken from the feminine, light voice of Rukia. Deliberately numbing her senses to refrain from hurting herself even more, she turned around once more and headed to the restroom where she could be alone.
…
Even the restroom looked rich and elegant. Every surface was made of a creamy-gold marble, carved pillars and matching statues resembled designs from ancient Rome, and muted lamps emitted an ambient mood that dimly lit expensive-looking, faded paintings.
Stepping up to the sink, Orihime stared into her reflection, directly and angrily at the smudge of jam wedged in between her breasts. She spent a few minutes trying to rub off the eyesore and after successfully doing so, she turned off the golden sink. With a long, drawn-out sigh, she lifted her head up to look at the gray-eyed girl crying in front of her and watched as her tears streamed behind her beautiful, dark mask.
'Why am I crying?'
This feeling of hopelessness, this wasn't like her, but in a way, it was. She had been wearing a mask every day of her life. Her smile, her twinkling eyes, and bloated mouth whenever she stuffed a donut into her mouth; they were all lies. Not for others, but for herself. Every day when she knew no one could see her, her smile would tilt downwards and her soul would flood with sadness. She missed her brother. Although Tatsuki was helping her out a lot, she still spent many cold nights alone in her bed and experienced many holidays watching families around her bond merrily.
Orihime stepped away from the sink and snatched the hand towel from its rack to dry her hands and lightly dab at her face. She leaned against the wall and listened half-heartedly to the low rumbling voice from the other room of who, she supposed, belonged to was Kuchiki Byakuya. Suddenly, all noise from the other room stopped and then a flooding sound of applause echoed into Orihime's ears like rain. Music soon took after. The dismal key from the last song had been lifted into something less sober and became light-hearted instead, the stringy sounds of violins seeped into the restroom through its open door.
Curiously, Orihime stepped out of the restroom, already feeling her dreary mood lifting along with the fluttery notes of the song. Now excited, she ran towards the main room, looking forward to frolicking and dancing with the violin's melody. All feelings of depression had dissipated and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself within the happiness of other people. She had trouble pushing through the thick line of people to get to the center, but she froze in her step as she saw something that almost made her knees buckle.
The large mass of partygoers had made way for the dancing couple in the center, watching and cooing in awe as a boy and Rukia swayed together, their feet tapping and scraping against the hard floor, and the mysteriousness of the boy's identity hidden behind an eerie mask giving an air of excitement. As if Rukia were dancing with a beast.
A beast she loved.
Orihime tore her eyes away from the scene, her heart tearing into pieces as she ran up a long flight of stairs with a velvet runner. The sound of cheerful violins faded into the background the further she evaded reality.
'I wanted to dance with Kurosaki-kun,' she cried soundlessly, 'Is it selfish of me to feel this way?'
Fiery hair flowed behind her as she ran towards her unknown destination, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get out.
Most of all, she wanted to take her mask off.
Brushing past a wave of long velvet curtains, she stepped out into a clearing of what seemed to be a balcony overlooking the busy city streets two floors below her. The bitter winter wind ate at her moist face and raised the small hairs of the back of her neck up. Running to the edge of the balcony, she gripped the marble frame and let out a heart-wrenching sob, her tears flowing endlessly and dripping onto her gloved hands.
Frustration, hopelessness, weak… this was Inoue Orihime at her lowest.
Suddenly, the darkness behind Orihime's eyelids intensified as a shadow blocked any light that spilled through the curtains from the ballroom. Orihime slowly lifted her head and turned around to face the doorway, tears still streaming down her face unrestrained, and gasped loudly as her eyes met with the cold, viridian eyes of a masked dark-haired boy.
"Who…"
Those bright, toxic green eyes that glowed against the light belonged to a boy not much taller than her; midnight-black hair loosely brushed his shoulders and framed his mask, giving him a dark aura. His façade looked similar to hers in only covering his eyes and rounding right above his cheekbone except it was pearl-white and had green tear streaks running from the slits of the eye holes to disappear under the rim and it had a single horn protruding from the top. He was dressed in an tuxedo as dark as his hair, but no flower was tucked in his pocket and his coat had long, flowing coat tails that drifted slightly behind him as the wind played with it. His slender arms disappeared into the pockets of his trousers, but his shoulders were broad with strength and confidence.
Everything about him was dark except for his pale skin and his ghostly-white facade. Especially his emerald green eyes that blazed dully behind the slits of his crying mask. Orihime could feel a sad, but melancholy vibe radiate from the boy, his frowning black lips only adding to his impression.
"How pathetic," he leered. She saw his green eyes squint at her from behind his mask.
'This certainly will not do', he mused.
He refused to claim a weak soul. He had been watching her this whole time, observing how her strong-willed nature had suddenly fractured into the mess that she was now. Yes, he had found a pure heart, but she had lost her appeal when he saw the way she acted around Kuchiki Rukia's boy. Why humans had to destroy themselves for another being was beyond his comprehension. It was utterly ridiculous.
"Who are you?" she repeated, her voice shaky with. She felt fear shivering in her weak limbs and adrenaline pumping through her veins as she felt his dark presence suffocate her.
"Come with me, onna."
She watched as he removed a white-gloved hand from his pocket and turn his palm upwards for her to take. Orihime peered up from his hand and curiously gazed into his eyes once more. Unable to find the answers in those viridian pools, she hesitated.
She didn't know how her clenched fist had unwound itself. She didn't understand how she was allowing her hand to raise gently upwards through the stale air towards the stranger. She couldn't comprehend the blanket of emptiness that covered over her when she placed her palm in his nor the way her heart skipped a beat when he pulled her closer to him.
Silently, he held her hand, his touch barely being the pressure of a feather against her skin, as he tugged her to follow him back into the building.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked anxiously while they walked, but his lean back was facing towards her. What if he's a rapist? She fussed.
The boy didn't respond despite being aware that he did look awfully suspicious.
"Hello?"
"Cease the meaningless chatter, onna. You will understand when we arrive."
She bit her tongue in frustration, but was able to relax a little bit more nonetheless. Surely she could take the boy on herself if something happened, right? He didn't look that strong.
"Cover your eyes."
"H-huh?" Oh boy.
He swiftly turned his head around to glare at her and barked, "I said cover your eyes, onna."
Orihime suppressed a squeak and shut her eyes to fulfill his demand. Though he was being highly suspicious, she couldn't get herself to fear him. Whether it be her strong will or her numb, broken heart that made her take his hand, she couldn't turn back now.
"Open them," he demanded not long after.
He watched as her eyes fluttered open through the slits of her mask, silver gray eyes that sparkled like stars between the colors of the night of her mask. It was then he realized that he was still holding her hand, so he quickly withdrew it and shoved it back into his pocket. Fortunately for him, the girl didn't notice.
Orihime gasped loudly as the scene unfolded in front of her. They were currently standing in an alcove that bordered the edge of the large ballroom that hovered over the dance floor. Dancing couples looked like flowers as they spun beneath her, the light was shining intensely since they were closer to the crystal chandeliers, and the echoing of the orchestra reverberated loudly against the walls, pulsating through her body.
The sight was absolutely beautiful. She could clearly see the colors of light being refracted through every facet of the chandeliers; immense pillars were guarded by large, marble gargoyles that rested on top, while long velvet curtains draped over them like a blanket. Everything about the room had antiquity, but it was genuine.
"Are we even allowed to be up here?" she hissed under her breath warily, but not removing her eyes from the sight.
"I am the owner of this estate. This hotel is mine," he said matter-of-factly as he stared down at the girl.
Orihime turned around to gape at him, "Wha— you?! You look like you're my age though!"
The masked boy was prepared for this moment. He had recited the same lines with every woman every time.
"I, too, come from a family of old money. My parents are deceased, hence I have received the right to their property," he lied.
"Ah… I see, I see," she mulled. He does seem quite mature…
"I'm...sorry about your parents," she mumbled, and averted her gaze slightly. She definitely understood what it felt like to have responsibility dumped onto her. Her own parents died when she was very young and her brother soon followed after.
"Must you humans make yourself seem so pitiful to express sympathy?" he deadpanned, "It was not your fault. You have no reason to apologize."
Orihime sighed. She also understood what the boy had meant. She had those same words of sympathy told to her all throughout her life and she never understood why people wasted their time pitying her and apologizing like it was their fault.
She looked back over the edge of the balcony, watching people laugh and frolic under their disguises. Admittedly, she was looking for the conspicuous orange hair of a certain boy, but she knew that she might also see a petite, black-haired girl hooked onto his arm in Orihime's place.
"So why did you bring me here, um…" she didn't know his name.
The boy ignored her uncertainty, "I wanted you… to cease that annoying screaming fit you were having earlier." He had no idea how to put it more nicely.
Orihime winced. She made a bad impression of herself again. At someone else's property to boot!
"About that... I'm sor—"
"Never mind that, onna," he turned sharply on his heel, his long coat tails swishing behind him as he stepped away from the balcony.
"Where are you going?" she called after him. She gripped her dress and pulled it higher to allow her feet to take larger steps.
He tilted his head back to look at her, not slowing his pace down. She felt the skin underneath her mask heat up as she watched those glowing, viridian orbs pierce through her.
"Dance with me."
Review please! I will update faster if you do~~
